Current pad systems such as the “Pigazzi Pad” disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,720 B1; the Ocean Breeze Pad by Prime Medical; and many other similar pads offered in the surgical market space; rely on either securing a viscoelastic pad via the bed rail system by means of hook and loop fastener based systems, or using the pad's viscoelastic surface along with the patient's weight to keep the pad from sliding. These systems are designed to keep the pad and the patient from sliding during surgical bed positioning changes, most commonly the Trendelenburg (head down) surgical position. This angled Trendelenburg position may range from 0 to 40 degrees. As with current viscoelastic pad systems, standard draw sheets (both woven and nonwoven materials) are then placed under the patient to either move the patient or to keep the patient's arms in place at the patient's side. It is important to note that these draw sheets can minimize full contact surface between the patient's back (skin) and the pad or gel surface increasing the risk or possibility for patient slippage or drifting in gravity dependent positions. This result is due to a reduction in contact between the viscoelastic pad and the patient's skin resulting in less friction or impression/residual compression needed to keep the patient in a static position. These risks are compounded with each increase in the angle of the Trendelenburg position.
One problem with existing pad or gel based systems is that once they are secured to bed rails, the existing systems are not easily moveable, especially when under the weight of the patient. They are fixed in their location once secured. This limits ease of movement of the patient to an optimal surgical position once the patient is settled into the pad system and secured. Due to the lack of easy and ergonomic movement of patients placed upon these fixed surfaces, providers are routinely forced to place the patient in a less than optimal position for anesthesia airway access needed for direct laryngoscopy, a necessary requirement for general anesthesia. Providers either place short patients more proximal to them for optimal airway access, or place patients farther down the table away from them, to minimize the repetitive lifting of patients under general anesthesia.
Because most pads are fixed and secured via hook and loop fastener straps, providers must physically and bodily lift the patient off of the semi adhesive pad/gel systems in order to move the patient into the correct bed position required for surgery. In the disclosure of the Pigazzi patent (U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,720 B1) this is performed via the “cloth-like” draw sheet, which is also used to facilitate arm adduction. The draw sheet included in many viscoelastic foam packs is made of a paper/cloth like material and often lacks full strength to facilitate movement of the patient by providers when positioning changes are required. The providers must routinely grab bodily portions of the patient's torso in contact with the pad in order to move the patient down. It is fairly common in practice to see the pad move or bundle under the patient as larger patients cannot be fully elevated off of the pad thereby dragging the pad with the patient. This foam or gel bundling can lead to pressure points that may lead to injury (e.g., pressure-related skin injuries).
Routine movement and methodologies for moving patients on these pad/gel based systems begin to fail, especially during the care of moderate to morbidly obese patients. Rising obesity rates in the United States also place significant ergonomic safety and injury risks to health care providers as they must routinely physically lift and move these patients in order to facilitate certain surgical procedures. The healthcare industry faces a problem with a lack of products focused on improving methodologies and practices that facilitate less variance and safe care strategies, i.e., process improvements required for surgical positioning. The industry also lacks products designed to provide safer and more ergonomic processes for moving patients, which can be a key contributor to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and injuries (especially involving the back) suffered by providers.